


Embers

by Fiery_Mullet



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Baby Keith (Voltron), Canon Compliant, Canon Universe, Family, Family Bonding, Family Feels, Family Fluff, Gap Filler, Gen, Keith Birthday Baby Bang, Protective Krolia (Voltron), Quantum Abyss (Voltron)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-02
Updated: 2018-11-02
Packaged: 2019-08-14 15:01:21
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 9,403
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16494896
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Fiery_Mullet/pseuds/Fiery_Mullet
Summary: Keith and Krolia's time on the Space Whale. Their awkward baby steps at getting to know each other all over again, raising the space wolf, as well as the fragile home that they're starting to build together.





	Embers

**Author's Note:**

> Notes: Huge thanks to salparadiselost and wonderlandswurst (Tumblr) for proofreading.
> 
> To the sweetest boy in the universe, Happy Birthday. I hope Steven Yeun’s wishes for you come true :D

The cackling of the firewood was the only sound that could be heard in the small den. A young man sporting dark mullet locks sat across a Galra soldier, who was turning a stick skewered through a gigantic space lobster they just fought together a while ago. The cosmic wolf pup, who would’ve been the space lobsters’ dinner, was curled up in between his saviors.

“This one’s done, Keith.”

The fellow Blade, who Keith learned was his mother not too long ago through their shared flashes of the past, offered a chunk of grilled space lobster to him. Keith’s face softened and his lips curled upwards as he took it. “Thanks, Krolia.”

He opened his mouth to eat but, right before he popped it in his mouth he noticed the pup eyeing him curiously. Or maybe the pup was just eyeing what was in his hand. He cut off a small piece with his knife and offered it to the little creature. The wolf walked towards him, sniffed it curiously at first, and then ate. Keith chuckled when he saw the pup wag his tail.

He shifted his gaze to his mom, who was wordlessly eating her meal.

 _‘She’s completely different from the warrior who was so focused on her mission. Not too long ago, she had no qualms about traveling the quantum abyss practically barefoot, without any food and water,’_ he thought absently.

He had so much more that he wanted to ask. But seeing her so relaxed- eating heartily like a child- all the questions just dissipated. And it was okay. After all, who knew how long it would take before they reached their destination. They had time.

“Keith, when you’re done eating, rest. Tomorrow, we’ll explore this thing we’re on and see what resources we can live off of. Our suits will recycle our body’s moisture, so we’ll be fine for a while. But that still won’t replace our body’s need for water.”

“Got it.” Keith nodded.

He didn’t know where or what it was exactly that they were headed for, but he wasn’t worried. He was with someone, and it wasn’t just a random Marmoran agent. He was with the one person who had constantly protected him from the moment they first met.

☆

Keith felt something soft and wet repeatedly sliding across his cheek, his nose, his forehead. A tongue, he realised, and before he had even opened his eyes his entire face had already been given a thorough puppy tongue bath. Groaning, Keith sat up “Morning, little fella.”

He heard footsteps coming from the den’s entrance and turned to look. His mother was carrying a handful of what looked like berries, which she laid down on the space beside him.

“Good morning, Keith. I found these outside and tried some. They’re edible. This one tastes like Earth cranberries, while these ones taste like blueberries. The yellow-green ones are a little sour.”

“Thanks.” Keith smiled then popped one of the berries into his mouth.

Krolia grinned back. “Eat. When you’re done, we’ll go out to explore the space whale. It looks like it will be a while before we get to our destination. So we need to see what resources we can use.”

“What about this little guy?” Keith patted the wolf pup’s head. The celestial creature wagged his tail as he curled up beside Keith and leaned on his leg. “We need to get him back to his pack. He won’t survive all alone.”

“You’re right.” Then she paused before speaking again, “I have an idea.”

They set out to explore the space whale and were pleased to find out that on top of creating its own atmosphere, it was also abundant in resources that could feed them for days, perhaps even years. With food not being a problem, the only concern was drinking water, they just had to find it.

Their first stop was the woods not too far from the den. Fallen twigs snapped with every footfall in their quiet surroundings. The smell of leaves tickled his nose. It felt like even Krolia’s whisper disturbed the silence. “Keith, when I give you the signal, run as fast as you can.”

“Wha-?”

“Just do as I say. Now!”

Albeit confused, Keith did as he was told and sprinted anyway, following Krolia deeper into dense woods. She went  up one of the trees and he climbed up the one beside it.

“Wait, Krolia, we left the wolf… behind… Oh.” Keith’s eyes followed Krolia’s gaze. He saw the wolf run after them only to stop and sniff near the foot of a hill.

“These leaves emit a strong scent. This way even the wolf won’t find us through smell.”

“I hope he gives up and goes home soon. He needs to be with his mother.”

Keith thought back on those days his classmates would ask him where his mother was. As a child, he’d tell them the same story his father would say to him every time he asked, that his mother had gone back to the stars. But growing up, judging from the pained look on the man’s face each time he asked about her, he realized that there were things his father couldn’t tell him. He never pressed for answers, but that didn’t mean not knowing them hurt any less.

Why was he left behind? Did he do something wrong? Did his mom not want him?

Did she _regret_ having him?

Looking at his classmates who looked so happy in their mothers’ arms, he wondered what it was like. His dad had always been affectionate too, but was it different if it was his mom? How? These were just some of the things that plagued him.

“It’s hard growing up an orphan.”

At those words, pain filled his mother’s eyes. He never intended for his words to affect Krolia in a way they had.  Keith worried he had hurt his mother and opened his mouth to say something, but no words came out. So he simply shut it and kept his eyes on the wolf pup, trying to drive away all other thoughts and focus on the cosmic creature.

After turning to look left and right, the wolf finally gave up and walked away.

“Keith, let’s go.”

“Wha-?”

“We need to follow him and make sure he goes back to his pack. To his mother.”

Seeing the determined look on his mother’s face, Keith was relieved to see the sadness in her eyes earlier was gone.

“Yeah.” He nodded.

They went after the cosmic wolf from a safe distance, hopping from one tree to the next, until they heard the sound of water gushing.

“Is that…?” Keith’s eyes widened.

“A waterfall.” Krolia answered the unspoken question.

“He found water for us. Good job, little guy.” Keith smiled ruefully, eyes fixed on the little pup who was still searching for any signs of company.

 _‘Sorry, buddy. I don’t want to leave you too but you should go home,’_ He grimaced.

Keith heard rustling from the bushes and he perked up, hoping to see the wolf’s family. He was disappointed when a giant space lobster came out instead, snapping its pincers menacingly.

Keith hastily jumped down from the tree to run to the wolf pup’s rescue, Krolia following right behind him. A couple more came out, he took one down as she got rid of the other, but the third one loomed towards Keith and was about to attack him from behind. The wolf bit its leg, causing the monster to shake him off and throw him down the waterfall.

Terrified, Keith dashed towards the edge of the falls and jumped off, not caring about his own safety . Krolia took down the last of the space lobsters, before running to look over the edge.

“Keith!”

“I don’t see him anywhere! I’m going to keep looking!”

Keith dove in and tried to look for the space wolf. He resurfaced quickly to catch his breath, and then swam right back under again. But to no avail. The wolf was nowhere to be seen.

He suddenly felt a chill. He was just a puppy. What if the little guy didn’t know how to swim? What if…

“Keith! He’s up here.” Krolia shouted, breaking Keith out of his thoughts.

“What?! How?!”

Keith looked up at his mother at the top of the falls. And just as she said, the cosmic wolf was up there, right in her arms. His ears wiggled upon seeing Keith in the water, and then he disappeared. Half a second later, he was right beside the young Blade in the pool below. Another half a second later, the former paladin was up on the edge of the cliff right beside his mother, the cosmic wolf licking his face.

“Wha- How- You can do that?!”

“Looks like our little friend has powers we have yet to learn of.” Krolia chuckled.

 Keith looked at his new friend with a soft smile and caressed the top of the mysterious creature’s fluffy head.

“If you can do that, you can go back to your pack and be with your parents. Why are you still here?”

The wolf pup climbed up his lap and licked his face more aggressively, eliciting unstoppable giggles from the younger Blade. “Stop it. It tickles.”

Smiling softly, Krolia spoke “Looks like he’s here of his own choosing. He likes you, Keith.”

He grinned at his mother then touched foreheads with the space wolf. “If that’s the case, you’re welcome to stay with us for as long as you li... li… Achoo!” Keith shivered.

“Let’s go back to the den. You need to get warm.”

☆

Keith heard something rustle as he rolled over in his sleep. He felt something cool slide off his forehead, before it was immediately replaced with a warm hand. Relishing the touch, Keith sighed with contentment. “Dad…?”

It has been so long since someone took care of him when he was sick. The only person who had ever done so was his own father. He knew it was impossible since his dad was long gone. If it was a dream, he wanted to stay just a bit longer.

_‘I miss you, Dad. So much.’_

He pried his eyes open, but as soon he did, a coughing fit attacked him and he almost regretted waking up. A pair of strong arms helped him sit up, wrapping the foil blanket around him. One hand offered water in a cup made of bamboo-like material, while the other rubbed his back.

The liquid helped to soothe his throat and once he gained his bearings he looked up at his mother. “Danks,” he mumbled.

“Are you hungry? I made soup.”

With his clogged nose, he didn’t feel like eating, but soup sounded good. As if agreeing with him, his stomach growled.

“You must have been exhausted. You were out for more than a day.”

 _‘Well, that explains it.’_ He wondered why he’d be hungry considering they just had a big grilled space monster dinner ‘the day before’. It turns out it had already been longer since he last ate.

He looked down at the foil blanket he was using and saw an Earth sports brand logo. His mother must have taken it out of his fanny pack, where he also kept the string that saved his life along with his Luxite knife and his mother from falling into the gravity wells. Krolia handed him a makeshift bowl made from the shell of the space lobsters filled with piping hot soup.

As Keith blew on his soup to cool it before eating, Krolia chuckled, earning a curious look from her son. Absently stroking the space pup’s head Krolia looked at him with gentle eyes. “I see you also have cat’s tongue.”

“Cat’s tongue?”

“Your dad couldn’t handle hot food. You’re just like him.”

Keith smiled ruefully. Krolia filled another bowl for herself as well. Not another word passed between them as Keith slowly sipped on his food.

Krolia was long done by the time Keith finished his meal. Feeling sleepy after the hearty food, he lied down. Krolia pressed her palm against his forehead. “Your temperature has gone down, but your fever is still high. Rest.” She put wet herbs on his forehead, which provided a pleasantly cool contrast. For an alien, Keith wondered how she could be so good at taking care of a sick human.

“Your dad got sick from overworking too.” She told him, as if reading his thoughts. “He was just as reckless as you. It was my first time dealing with a sick human back then. He walked me through how to take care of him, as ironic as that sounds.”

As his eyes drifted close, Keith threw hesitation out the den’s mouth. “Tell me more. About dad. About your life together on Earth.” He blamed the honesty and the selfishness on the fever.  

As he drifted in and out of consciousness, Krolia scooted over. Running her fingers through her son’s hair, Krolia’s voice was laced with melancholy and nostalgia. “Where do I begin…”

_*******_

_Krolia was going through the desert map on the table and pinning notes she wrote on colourful post-its when the door creaked open. She had been living with the man who took her in and kept her existence a secret from the outside world. In time, he won her trust… and also her heart._

_“I’m home.”_

_Krolia looked his way with a smile, which instantly faded and was replaced with a scowl when she saw cuts on his arms and forehead. The man she loved let out a nervous laughter. “Hey… Darlin’.”_

_“Get the medicine box and sit down.”_

_“Yes ma’am.”_

_He did as he was told and Krolia tended to him right away. As she poured disinfectant on a cotton ball and dabbed it on his wounds, he explained. “I had to run back in. A woman said her baby was still in there. I couldn’t imagine losin’ my child if I had one.”_

_“We’ll never let that happen. But you won’t know what it’s like to be a father if you’re gone before the baby comes out.”_

_“Yeah, you’re ri… Wait. Say that again?”_

_He stared open-mouthed at Krolia for a minute or two, before his lady cupped his face._

_“You’re going to be a father.” The words that came out of her lips made his face glow, and his smile was so bright that it seemed like his heart did not just jump, but was launched to the edge of the universe with joy. It was the first time she had seen the man that happy._

_“I’m gonna be a father...” He wrapped his strong arms around her, lifted her up, and spun her around as he yelled, louder each time. “I’m gonna be a father! I’m gonna be a father!!!”_

_But their joy was short-lived when their son was born._

_“His heartbeat is very feeble.” Said the man she loved with a frown. “He’s growing weaker each day.”_

_Krolia held her baby closer. They knew there might be complications involved when they decided to have a child, but they took the risk anyway. She kissed her son’s forehead. “I want to take him to the cave.”_

_They went to the ravine where the Blue Lion was hidden. As a Galra and a Blade of Marmora, she had seen with her own eyes the reality that was happening outside the planet- the galaxy- she was now living in.  The war has been going on for far too long, and if their son did not have long to live, she wanted to show him the universe’s only hope. The Blue Lion- the reason she stayed on Earth and would dedicate her life to protect._

_In turn, she wanted to show the Blue Lion her son. Born from the love of two different races, he was the ultimate proof that a peaceful future was possible. The man standing beside her kissed her temple._

_“Keith, look. This is the Blue Lion. Someday, its chosen pilot will fly this. And along with four other lions, they’ll form Voltron, fight the empire, and save the universe.”_

_As she finished her words, tiny lights that looked like blue fireflies came flying out of the Blue Lion’s barrier. They danced all over her baby before gathering, as if wrapping themselves protectively around him the way his mother carried him in her arms. They dissolved not long after, and as soon as they were gone, Keith, who had been sleeping, opened his eyes and smiled at her._

_Krolia exchanged looks with her partner, both dumbfounded. Keith’s father gently raised the baby’s arm up and pressed his fingers somewhere between his elbow and shoulder. “His pulse is stronger. And he’s breathing better. This is beyond words.”_

_The couple looked up at the Blue Lion and smiled. “Thank you.”_

_*******_

Back in the den, Keith woke up and looked up at his mother, who was sleeping while cradling his head on her lap. Keith couldn’t tell which part were stories he heard from her or if it was just another flashback caused by the mysterious light and collapsing time. Who knows, maybe it was just a dream. It was all jumbled, and it didn’t matter. He was grateful to be given the chance to see that once upon a time, his father and mother lived a happy life together.

☆

“Ready, boy? And… go!” Keith tossed a stick as far as he could. 

The wolf pup, sitting, simply looked up at him and didn’t move an inch. Keith slouched, head drooping. “It’s okay buddy. We’ll work on it.”

“Keith. We can’t let this long journey make us soft or dull our skills.” Those were the only words Krolia said before they kicked off his mother’s Blade boot camp.

They started with simple outdoor workouts like walks, runs, and hikes, and progressed to fighting techniques, sparring, as well as mental training. Keith was impressed to see how natural training someone came to his mother, as if she had been doing it all her life. She was amazing at coming up with training routines and battle simulations. For the past few months, Keith could barely sleep even though at the end of each day he was completely exhausted, all because he was too excited and couldn’t wait to see what his mother had in store for him the next day.

“Today, I want you to try something different. There’s something I’d like to test.”

“Okay.” Keith nodded.

Krolia led him to an open area not far from the den. She put a blindfold on him. “Wait here.”

“Come with me, little one.” Keith heard the wolf puppy trotting away from him. He tried to listen closely to his mother’s footsteps until it was out of earshot. Not long after, he heard the footfalls again, but coming in different directions as if Krolia was walking in circles.

“Keith, I want to see if you can sense where the wolf is. The wolf, just like you and me, is a living being. He has life in him, and where there’s life, there’s quintessence. I want to see if you can sense the cosmic wolf, not through your five senses, but through connecting with him. His life force. His quintessence.”

“How do I do that?”

Krolia put her hand on his shoulder. “Just like how you bonded with your lions. And how you awaken your ceremonial weapon. Focus, Keith.”

Keith thought back on the first time he found Red. He focused all his energy on trying to feel the cosmic wolf he had been living with for the past few months. The times they spent eating together, swimming and playing with each other, and even sleeping with their backs against one another. He didn’t just tune out everything else around him, he focused every fibre of his being remembering the warmth and the energy of his little friend.  

And just like the time he found Red in the Galra ship, it didn’t take long before he sensed the one he was looking for. Keith smirked. “Gotcha.”

Excited, Keith got up and bolted towards the direction of the cosmic wolf. But he forgot one tiny detail. He still had a blindfold on and tripped on a rock, landing face first into the ground. “Ow…”

Getting up, he didn’t let one tiny rock deter him. Or a branch. Or a puddle of mud. Each time he fell, he got back up. And each time he kept going, he felt closer to the one he was looking for. He finally heard the familiar yip yip, and before he could even take another step, the pup jumped right into his arms.

“Whoa!” The little one licked him all over the face and bit his blindfold off to gnaw on it.

“You did it.” Krolia walked towards him. She patted the wolf’s head and he shifted his attention to her, licking her hand. “Looks like you have an innate sensitivity to quintessence too, Keith.”

“Sensitivity? And ‘too’…?”

Krolia didn’t say anything. She simply smiled and looked at the scenery around them.

“Quintessence is life itself. It’s all around you. It is neither good nor evil, nor does it influence one to become good or evil. It is power in its purest form, and can be used both as a weapon and to save a life.”

Keith’s eyes widened as he was brought back to a time in his childhood, to his earliest memory of lighting a campfire with his father.

_*******_

_“Keith, aren’t you scared of fire?” Keith’s father, who was a fireman, asked him._

_Little Keith shook his head. “No, because daddy fights the bad fires”._

_His dad took him in his arms and cradled him in his lap as they roasted the fish he caught in the river._

_“Listen to me, son. There are no good or bad fires. It all depends on how you use it. Do you know that fire saves lives too? It keeps people in cold places warm.”_

  _*******_

 _‘Dad was right’_ , Keith mused. _‘That wasn’t the only thing he taught me. He also taught me to help, to_ give _without expecting anything in return. And in the end, he gave everything to others... even his life.’_

“Keith? Is there something wrong?” Krolia’s apprehensive voice pulled him out of his memories.

“No. I just… remembered dad. He told me something similar before.” Keith smiled ruefully. The cosmic wolf wiggled in Keith’s arms then jumped down.

“I see.” Krolia took her son’s hand in both of hers, letting him feel her life force. Keith closed his eyes.

_‘This warmth… it’s so familiar. It’s as if I’ve felt it all my life. But how? She left me so long ago. Before I even had any memories of her.’_

His eyes slowly parted open and he looked straight into his mother’s eyes.

“You have the natural ability to sense it, but I will teach you how to feel quintessence with every fibre of your being, channel it, and eventually control and wield it.” She let go of his hand and started walking back to the clearing.

“I can do that?” Keith trotted after her, his face a mix of curiosity and excitement.

“Nothing’s impossible if you set your mind to it. We’ll start with the basics. For now, put the blindfold back on. Let’s do that again a few more times.”

The wolf pup walked towards Keith and looked up at him expectantly- the piece of cloth between his teeth gloriously dripping with drool. Keith gave his wolf a look of utter betrayal seeing how enthusiastically he wagged his little tail. “Ugh. Why are you so… drooly?”

Over the next few days, they progressed from finding the cosmic wolf with a blindfold within short distances, to getting rid of the blindfold altogether and having the pup run out first. Keith would stay behind, sense him, and then set out to find him over long distances. It took a lot of practice but, eventually, Keith could find the young wolf virtually anywhere in the space whale. Once, he fractured his foot and was stuck, unable to stand. That time, it was the cosmic wolf who was able to find him, much to Keith’s surprise. His friend teleported him back to the den to be treated by his mother.

“Since you won’t be able to go far for a while, we’ll try something else. Keith, can I have your knife?”

“Uh… sure.” Keith unsheathed the blade. The smile she had on as she held it was the same as someone who had just been reunited with an old friend.

“I want you to focus all your energy into your sword and make it come to you.”

“What?”

 _‘That’s impossible’_ Keith pouted, arms crossed. Then again, he has already piloted two of five mechanical lions that formed a giant robot, fought using a knife that transforms into a sword, and met a teleporting wolf. Who was he to say what was impossible or not  in space.

“Our blade is connected to our life force. You can awaken it even when you’re not physically holding it. Likewise, you can summon it and make it come to you.”

Keith closed his eyes. The blade has been with him all his life, but that did not make it any easier for him to connect with it. Just then, he felt as if he recognized the same energy that came from his mother. Only, it was much smaller, and seemed to be mixed with his own.

_‘That’s it! That was why I felt as if I had know this energy all my life.’_

He thought back on his father’s words in the mindscape. **_“Your mother gave it to me.”_**

Which Krolia later confirmed when they finally met. **_“Because it used to me mine. Before I gave it to your father.”_**

He called out to that energy, tugged on it as if it was some sort of invisible string, then pulled until it came closer. He felt something hard and cold on his lap. He opened his eyes and saw the Luxite knife was right there, as if his mother never took it.

☆

“But you wouldn’t know that because you weren’t there!” Keith’s voice came out louder and harsher than he intended.

It was just some petty argument, he didn’t know why he got so worked up. Maybe it was because of the dream he had the night before. The one of his father’s coworkers knocking at their door to tell him the devastating news. His father had always told him Keith was his little hero, and yet he wasn’t able to do anything to save him.

He couldn’t believe the words that came out of his own mouth. What he wouldn’t give to take it all back. After all the flashes of Krolia’s past that they revisited in the quantum abyss and knowing his mother didn’t have a choice when she left, he was being unfair.

“I- I’m sorry.” Keith’s voice shook with regret. “I didn’t mean to- I just- I’m gonna go outside and cool my head off.” He dashed out of the den. The wolf pup followed.  

Keith ran towards the edge of the waterfall. He sat there and the cosmic wolf curled up beside him, whining as he laid his head on his human’s lap. Keith caressed his silken fur.  

They stayed there in companionable silence for a while. Keith loved how his wolf just seemed to understand. There was never a need for him to explain. He would just stay beside him, keep him company, and comfort him when he needed it most.

“Let’s go catch some dinner. I want to bring back food. As peace offering.”

Keith got up and they headed for the pond below. He took the fishing rods he made together with his mother, and by the time they caught enough fish, it was getting dark.

On the way back, the cosmic wolf stopped at a fork. He sniffed on the ground, barked at the other path leading away from their den, then bolted forward. Keith ran after him and when they arrived at a row of bushes, he dropped all the fish he had tied together. His mother was on the ground, unconscious. Various type of herbs lay around her, crumpled and wilted. He dashed towards her to feel her pulse and listen to her breathing. It was very weak.

 _Of course_ , Keith inwardly kicked himself for not noticing it sooner. Krolia had taken full charge of preparing their meals. The food was so good, it never crossed his mind to wonder what ingredients she had been putting into their food. Krolia seemed so knowledgeable about everything , so he assumed that Krolia was also familiar with all the plants and space creatures (monsters) they had been hunting and eating. It never occurred to him that part of the process was Krolia doing a trial and error by trying herbs- whether they were safe for human and Galra consumption… or not.

He had to calm down. He had to think. How would he know what exactly poisoned her and more importantly, how would he know what antidote to look for? As all these things ran in his mind, her skin grew cold. Keith felt his own heartbeat go faster. In a fit of panic, he yelled, shaking her.

“You told me you will never leave me again. Come on, wake up. You promised!!! Mo-“

She started coughing, her labored breathing subsided until it was even breaths. He felt her pulse and her forehead, relief washing  over him when her temperature rose back to normal.

“I’m okay, Keith. A Galra’s immune system is capable fighting toxins and poisons. Our genes have the natural ability to protect us from these things, that’s how we are able to have such a long lifespan.”

“Don’t do that again.” Keith was trembling and his voice was soft. Pleading. Desperate. “Just because your body can handle the poison, it doesn’t mean it’s okay for you to go through that pain. I can’t bear seeing you suffer like that. I’m okay with eating the same dish every day until we reach our destination.”

“Thank you, Keith. I’m sorry I made you worry.” She cupped her son’s face. “But you cannot allow yourself to let fear take over. When it’s needed, we have to take risks.”

Not wanting to start another argument, Keith told his mom to rest. This time, he was going to make food. And he knew just what to cook. The memories of Krolia’s time with his father told him a lot about his parents. And among them, were his mother’s favorite Earth dishes. Of course, he still needed some major tweaks in the ingredients.

☆

Bang. Bang. Bang. All it took was three shots for all three boulders above their den to fall down. Keith could only stare with mouth gaping at his mother. She rolled the biggest boulder to the side, Keith followed suit and rolled the next biggest rock beside it. The cosmic wolf teleported the smallest rock next to the other two, and Keith tossed him an accusatory look that clearly said ‘Hey, that’s cheating’.

Next, Krolia told them to gather big branches. Eyeing  a smaller branch, Keith picked it up and called the cosmic wolf over. “Hey buddy, come.”

The cosmic wolf trotted to his side and looked up at him. He tossed the stick ahead and yelled “Go get it, boy!”

But the wolf simply followed it with his eyes until it was out of sight, then looked up at Keith curiously. Keith sighed. _‘...And today is not the day.’_

When they got back, Keith and Krolia put up pillars and wooden roofing around the den’s entrance, reinforcing it. She looked pleased as they tied the last knot. “And that does it.”

 “You’ve been a great help too, lil’ fella.” Keith bent down to scratch his wolf. “But you’re not so little anymore. You’re almost twice as big as when we first saw you. How long has it been?”

“Almost a year.” Krolia answered as she rolled up the unused vines they dried and braided to make ropes. “It’s easy to lose track of time here in the quantum abyss.”

“That’s true. I don’t even know what day it is anymore.” Keith said as he tossed the unused branches into their firewood pile.

Krolia wordlessly stared at him for a minute. Keith was just about to ask her what was wrong before she smiled and left. He exchanged looks with his wolf and shrugged. “Let’s go train.”

They headed for the top of the hill, where Keith sat to admire the view. He then crouched down, rubbing the top of the cosmic wolf’s head.

“Just like the usual, okay buddy? You can go run first and then I’ll go find you. Ready, set, go!" 

And the cosmic wolf was gone.

Keith closed his eyes to feel everything around him. All life has quintessence and each quintessence was unique to the living thing. He tuned out everything else one by one until the only thing he could feel was the wolf. Through Krolia’s lessons, he learned how to make himself attuned to his friend’s presence, his energy, his very life force. He reached his quintessence out and connected the wolf’s to his own.

“Found you.”

He ran towards the pool at the bottom of the falls. Keith gawked when he saw a hole on the ground and beside it, predictably, a mound of dirt. Because it was close to the falls, part of the dirt had already become mud. He gave his wolf, who was happily wagging his tail, a droopy-eyed look. “Don’t tell me you did this.”

“I did.”

“Wha-“

Before Keith could finish his question, a handful of mud was slathered on his face. He wiped mud off his face. “What are you-“ Again. This time with both hands. She spread the mud  all over his face.

“Just continuing tradition. Happy Birthday, Keith.”

Keith’s eyes widened as his mother’s words brought him back to a time he dearly cherished. To the earliest birthday party he could remember, back when his dad was still alive.

_*******_

_His father bought him balloons, wrapped his presents, and baked him a chocolate cake. It smelled so good, Keith remembered sitting in the kitchen and staring at the oven the whole time. He lost count of how many times he asked his father “Is it done?”_

_He gasped when he finally heard the much awaited ‘ding’ from the oven. His father opened it and the rich aroma filled the kitchen. He took out the spring-form pan and set it on the counter._

_“Almost done, son. We’re gonna have to wait for it to cool first.” He patted Keith’s head, while the boy pouted. He had more waiting to do._

_Chuckling, his father took him in his arms. “Now we get to the fun part. Do you want to help me make the frosting?_  

_“Yeah!” Keith’s eyes sparkled._

_His dad lifted him higher and spun him around. Their laughter filled the house. There were only two of them, but his dad made sure they were always happy._

_That Keith was always happy._

_After spreading the frosting they made over the freshly baked, completely cooled cake, Keith climbed down the chair and stretched out his hand. “I wanna bring it to the table!”_

_“Are you sure? It’s a little heavy.”_

_“I can do it! I’m a big boy!”_

_“All right.”_

_Keith’s father carefully passed the cake over to the birthday boy. Face contorted in sheer concentration, he took small, careful steps. That’s why he was surprised when he wasn’t able to lift his foot all of a sudden and the next thing he knew he was on the floor, face buried in chocolate._

_He sat up and saw his shoelace was untied. That was all it took to ruin the cake he was so excited to eat. He felt a pang in his chest from so much disappointment._

_“Keith! Are you okay?”_

_His dad knelt in front of him. Upon hearing his father’s gentle voice filled with concern, his mouth quivered. His eyes started to feel moist, and he could feel a tear form on his eyelids._

_Big hands grabbed fistfuls of cake. Keith could only look on, dumbfounded, as his dad smeared cake all over his own face. Before he realized it, Keith’s chokes and sobs turned into small giggles. His father took him in his arms and rubbed his stubble against his silky smooth cheeks, just as he always did to tickle him since he was a baby. And soon the house was once again filled with laughter._

_Since then, every single year, it became a tradition to smear each other’s faces with all sorts of frosting- from chocolate to fresh cream and all sorts of flavors and colors- before they actually ate the cake._

_*******_

“So it wasn’t just a dream…” Keith spoke fondly, soft smile lighting up his face. “You saw it too, which means you know the tradition.” Smirking, Keith grabbed a fistful of mud. He aimed for his mother’s face, but Krolia ducked just in time.  

“You’re a hundred years too early to catch me, child.”

“Hey! That’s not fair.”

He tried and failed. Tried again and failed again. How was his mother so damn fast?! But that just fired him up even more. The harder the challenge, the more he wanted to conquer it. He never backed down.  

But his mother had amazing reflexes. He didn’t know how many years of battle experience she had over him (and he knew better than to ask a woman’s age), but she was the real deal. He already mastered everything she taught him in all the months they spent together in the space whale, but he was still nowhere near what she was truly capable of.

“Gotch-“

Splat.

And just when he thought he had an opening, the cosmic wolf dove right into the mud puddle, splashing dirt all over both them. Keith heard laughter. His chest was engulfed with warmth as he realized that was the first time he had ever seen his mother so happy and relaxed.  

☆

They put the mud to good use my making clay blocks. Keith was amazed at how Krolia made it look so easy to build a wall around the hearth in their den. They stacked a few layers at a time, letting the heat of the fire dry and harden the mud blocks, allowing it to solidify. While working, Keith sang a song he made up on the spot.

 

_I am building a wall out of mud_

_With a little help from my dear bud_

_Krolia makes the blocks and I stack them up_

_All the blocks are teleported by my wolf pup_

_And when we're done building this wall_

_It'll be all nice, big, and tall_

 

As imitating him, the wolf let out a low howl. 

Just before the clay wall reached the ceiling, Krolia shot a hole in the den’s roof, creating an opening to connect the wall where smoke from the fire would escape. As a finishing touch, Keith made a mantle from tied up sturdy branches and, cheerfully humming, put three decorative pieces.

“This rock is you, the smaller one in the middle is me,” He grinned proudly at his mother, then smiled down on the cosmic wolf, who was now up to about his waist “and the pointy one on the left is you, buddy. It really captured your ears!” The wolf wagged his tail happily.

Just like they built a wall around the fire block by block, they also learned a little more about each other with each vision shown by the mysterious flashes of light in the quantum abyss. Keith got a glimpse of his life as a baby while his mother was still on Earth, and he reveled in seeing more of the things he never knew about his father. Not just how his dad worked alongside Krolia in protecting the Blue Lion, but also what they did during happier, more peaceful days.

_*******_

_“You’re looking much better now.” Keith’s father smiled at Krolia, who was quietly eating her porridge._

_Krolia scowled at him. “You’re very careless. You don’t know me. You don’t even know what I am. Why did you take me in so easily? I could have harmed you.”_

_“But you didn’t.” He replied simply, voice just as gentle and warm as Keith always remembered it to be.  “When you’re done, put on your helmet. Let’s go for a ride.”_

_*******_

Krolia also had the chance to catch up with Keith’s childhood and how the man he loved raised Keith to become the amazing young man, who became a Blade of Marmora agent deemed worthy by her very own luxite blade. And as fate would have it, a Paladin of Voltron, whose lions countless Blades spilled their blood to protect.  

_*******_

_“It’s just you and me now, Keith.” His father looked down on the infant strapped on his chest, who simply stared up at him, sucking on his pacifier. He got on his hoverbike and drove to the fire station._

_“Hey, everyone. Meet my son, Keith. Keith, meet my fire station crew. They’re like family.”_

_Over the next couple of months, his dad was unable to work in the field. So he was stuck in the fire department with paperwork and clerical duties. It worked out as well, because for the first few months his baby would cry almost instantly every time someone else tried to carry him.  His boss, coworkers, even the policemen and paramedics who regularly visited them spoiled the infant so much that by the time he was ready to go out there and fight fires again, baby Keith was passed around so much he was barely in his arms._

_His baby was in the fire station so often that one day, one of the firemen built a crib for him that looked like a fire truck. His boss’s wife made him a pillow shaped like a fireman’s helmet, and a hug pillow shaped like a fire hydrant. A new toy was added to his crib almost every day, but Keith’s favorite was the wind up plush hippo sleeping on its stomach. Its head went up and down when the key was twisted._

_The crib was eventually replaced by a walker and then a fenced play/nap area. For his first birthday, he got a pedal fire truck that actually squirted water from its fire hose. Keith spent more time squirting water than riding it, and was thoroughly amused every time the human “buildings” he shot water on fell down and played dead. When it was just him and his dad at home, his father would make the siren noises himself as they ran around the yard._

_One day, when Keith was old enough to walk, he jumped inside the laundry basket, covered himself with the lid, and stayed put. Thump, thump, thump. He heard his father’s footsteps growing louder with each step as he went up the stairs. Keith covered his mouth to stifle his giggles when the door creaked open._

_“I wonder where my little boy went.”_

_He peeked through the hollow handle and saw his father rubbing his chin. He crouched down to look under the bed, opened the cabinets, looked in the bathroom, and even in the big drawers._

_“Hmmm… Not here too? Then that only leaves...”_

_Stomping and walking like a gorilla, he slowly made his way towards Keith’s direction. Keith ducked, pressing his hands on his mouth tighter. The next thing he knew, the basket was swung left and right like a pendulum, and he gave up covering his mouth, laughing loudly._   

 _*******_      

Krolia was happy to revisit their house- their room- in more flashbacks. The paintings on the walls were taken down and replaced with little doodles Keith drew in kindergarten- of his family, of what he thought his mother looked like. She also saw his favorite toys when he was a child, the games he played with his dad, his hobbies.

But what made her happiest was seeing flashbacks of their hoverbike road trips, camping, and stargazing nights. The questions Keith asked his dad, the look on his father’s face whenever he made the weirdest stories or spoke in riddles about his mother, the stars, and how everyone was made of the same cosmic dust.

☆

“Today, we’re going to have stealth training. Here’s the scenario. You’re being hunted by Galra soldiers. You have ten fighters roaming above, five units of sentries looking for you on foot, and twenty drones. Where are you going to hide?” Krolia explained, as she stood at the clearing near the den, which had already become one of their regular sparring grounds.

Keith smirked, standing with his arms crossed as he listened. “That sounds pretty tough.”

“You have ten ticks to hide.”

“What?!”

“One, two, three…”

Keith quickly got moving, the cosmic wolf tailing behind him. Running, he looked around and mentally analyzed the topography of the space whale. _‘Since there are fighters, it can’t be an open area visible from above. But because there are sentries I’ve got to go somewhere well hidden. Areas with wide openings that drones can fit through are not an option.’_

He then remembered they had piled up empty space lobster shells by the den in case they needed to use them. _‘That’s it!’_ He grabbed onto the cosmic wolf and the next second, they disappeared.

They reappeared inside one of the dried out empty shells and hid there. A few minutes later, Keith frowned when he saw Krolia coming towards the den, analyzing her surroundings with her suit’s built in computer. He knew he was found out the moment Krolia looked straight into his eyes and smirked. She ran towards them and flipped their hiding place away.

“You focused too much on finding a camouflaged hiding place that you forgot drones don’t just have cameras, but the ability to recognize heat signatures as well.”

“I thought I had all the bases covered.” Keith pouted.

Ruffling his hair, Krolia smiled. “Don’t be upset. I just wanted to play hide and seek with my son as well.”

☆

Pit. Pat. It started with scattered drops that quickly escalated into a downpour. Rain pounding against the roof and walls of their den drowned out the crackling of the firewood in the hearth, which was usually the only sound that could be heard when Keith and his mother weren’t speaking and the wolf wasn’t whining.

Keith dreamt of the time he met Thace, and also lost him, the other night. Or maybe it was another memory flash. It was hard to tell in the quantum abyss. He picked up a stick and started drawing Thace’s sword on the ground.

“Thace?”

“Yeah.” Keith smiled, eyes fixed on his artwork as he drew each line that he still vividly remembered. “How did you recognize it? Did you work with Thace for a really long time?”

Krolia smiled. “I remember each blade of every operative I train. Thace was one of them.”

“I see.”

Keith erased it and drew another one. This time he drew a blade with a hook. Before he could finish drawing the handle, Krolia already spoke. “Ah, Ulaz.” With a soft chuckle, she fondly added. “He always clashed with Kolivan.

“You’re good. Okay, how about this next one.”

Keith realized as soon as he drew the two glowy lights on the handle that it was a dead giveaway. And right on cue, Krolia said “Antok.”

Keith erased it again and started drawing another blade. While he was drawing the curved belly, Krolia already guessed “Regris. Our resident computer geek. He was usually quiet, but he could go on and on when it came to technology.” Krolia smiled ruefully.

“Is there anyone you don’t know? Okay, try this one.”

Keith drew sword after sword. He remembered every curve, every detail, every purple glow and had drawn them all from memory. But he was impressed that, true to her words, his mother remembered each and every one of them with astounding accuracy.  

“Oken”

“Ayn”

“Enagok”

“Arika”

“Saxet”

“Ailork"

Time flew while they were playing Blade of Marmora pictionary and Krolia got each name right every time. Keith’s head drooped in defeat. His mother was beyond words. He looked up when Krolia held his hand.

“Thank you, Keith. For remembering them.”

“How did you…?”

“The Blade of Marmora has a wide network, but not a single Blade has fallen without the rest of us being notified. All the swords you drew belonged to Marmoran agents who were lost in battle. Some, as I’ve seen in our shared visions, even died in front of your eyes. Etching every inch of their swords in your memory is your own way of honoring them. And for that, I’m grateful, Keith.”  

“They’re… like family to me.” Keith’s voice was laced with fondness. “When I first moved in at the Headquarters, Antok said it’s been a long time since the Blades ever had a new recruit, much less someone who was so… small. And not purple. And not hairy.”

Done drawing for the night, Keith tossed the stick to the side. From the corner of his eye, he saw the cosmic wolf lunge towards it and caught the wooden rod with his mouth. Dumbfounded, Keith could only gawk until the wolf walked towards him and dropped the slimy stick on his hand.

“Did you see that?!” He asked Krolia, laughing, then turned back to the cosmic wolf. “You did it buddy!” He wrapped his lithe arms around his cosmic wolf, which had grown to more than half his size when they first found him.

“Whoa!” The wolf pushed Keith down and licked his face, slobbering. Krolia chuckled, watching their antics.

That night, the flash of light brought Krolia back to his Blade son’s first night at the base.

_*******_

_The Blades prepared so much food. When Keith came back from his mission and asked what the celebration was about, they blatantly lied and said it was a welcome party for him. Krolia didn’t buy it, of course. In reality they just had no idea what humans ate so they made all sorts of… cuisines. Keith was more than happy to try each dish and ate heartily. The dumbfounded look on their faces at how such a tiny creature could have such a big appetite was priceless._

_Krolia also saw how agents hoarded all sorts of random Earth things they found on their rare trips to space malls and intergalactic airports, or bought him little trinkets and dumped them in his sleeping quarters. They would shrug it off with “I don’t know if you have this on Earth already and you might have never seen it all your life, so I just bought it for you”, and act all cool about it, but the moment Keith turned his back they’d show how excited they were at meeting a human for the first time. Besides, while Keith was already an adult in Earth years, in the eyes of Galra whose quintessence-enhanced life span could go on for thousands of years, Keith was still but a little child._

_Krolia never told Keith this, but each and every blade was unique, hence the moment his sword transformed, Kolivan recognized it right away. After all, it used to belong to one of his closest allies. Every now and then the Blade leader would update her on her son. It amused Krolia to no end seeing her fellow Blades watch Keith as he slept. They practically spoon-fed him during meals. And while they never held back during sparring and what needed to be done during missions, once they were back at the base they would gather around him and deliver first aid before he could even disembark his fighter._

_He once came down with a cold, causing the other operatives to panic. They called for their best doctor from galaxies away, thinking he was gravely ill and even dying, only to be told it was just a flu and all he needed to do was drink his medicine and get enough rest. He was forbidden to join on missions as soon as he had the slightest sniffles ever since._

☆

Keith struck, and just as he anticipated, Krolia effectively blocked it and countered. He ducked as she swung at him then aimed for her hand, attempting to disarm her. Krolia saw through this, spun around and kicked his left hand, making him drop his weapon instead.

Down on the ground, Keith panted, feeling a drop of sweat trickle down his temple. He could not believe that he lost to his mother. Again. It didn’t make him feel any better that his sparring partner’s weapon was just a wooden branch, as he was now the wielder of the Luxite sword she once owned.

“You’ve changed a lot since we first came here. A lot more focused. A lot more confident. You’ve become so much stronger, Keith.”

“Still not as strong as you.” Keith smiled ruefully.

“Time, Keith. That’s my only advantage. But I have no doubt you will surpass me. You’re my son, after all.”

Krolia reached out a hand, which Keith took and she pulled him up.

“You have one more task, and then we’re done training for the day.”

“Okay. What do I have to do?”

“I want you to find the cosmic wolf. He’ll be waiting for you in one of the chambers of the ravine under the waterfalls.  Those are long, winding caverns and some slopes are slippery while others are too narrow or steep and hard to climb. It’s also dark, so your vision will be limited.”

“That’s a good one.” Keith smirked, feeling excited.

“You’ll have to find him before midnight. Or else, you’re out.”

When Krolia gave him the signal, he set out for the cave. Not too far from the entrance, light could no longer penetrate. Keith gave up relying on his sight and focused on sensing and connecting with the cosmic wolf’s quintessence instead. But each time he felt as if he was getting closer, he would slide down a winding downward slope or be faced with a high wall he needed to climb. But none of that deterred him from finding his friend.

It took almost three hours, but he finally reached the chamber he was looking for. As soon as he found him, his wolf teleported and leapt towards him. But because he was already more than half Keith’s size by then, he sent the boy tumbling  to the ground,  without any effort.

“Good job, Keith. You made it just in time.”

“Krolia.” There was no surprise in Keith’s voice. After all, he also sensed that his mother was there. “Why did you come here, too?”

“Because there’s something I wanted to show you.”

Krolia pressed something in her suit’s built in computer and the next moment, a flash of light came from its lead screen, projecting stars that illuminated the darkened chamber. Keith gasped as he recognized some of the patterns. It was the constellations of the solar system.

“Amazing. It’s the same sky we can see from the desert when I went camping with my dad.”

“The same ones he showed me, when I was still there. You probably miss him, so I thought of showing you this tonight. It is now midnight, Earth time. October 23rd. Happy Birthday, Keith.”

“Thanks…” Hugging his wolf a little tighter, he buried his face in his wolf’s back as he muttered something that was too muffled for Krolia to hear.

They spent the rest of the night lying there, talking about stars. After naming the different constellations, they exchanged stories of Keith’s father. As they reminisced, Keith mused that his love for his mother was like embers. Their time together in the quantum abyss did not stop it from being put out but instead made it burn brighter than ever.

_*******_

_“What do you want to be when you grow up, son?”_

_“I wanna be a space pilot!”_

_“A space pilot? Aw, not a fireman like me? Why?”_

_“Because you said mom went back to the stars. So I’m gonna go find her. I’m gonna bring mom home!”_

 

The End.


End file.
